As shown in FIG. 9, a conventional example of a connector provided with a cover for electric wires comprises terminal fittings 2 inserted into a housing 1, an electric wire 4 attached by pressure contact to a pressure contact blade 3 at the posterior end of each terminal fitting 2, and a cover 5 attached to the housing 1 to cover the pressure contact portion thereof.
The portions of the electric wire 4 which extend upwards and downwards from the pressure contact blade 3 are respectively bent in an anterior direction so as to lead out through a space between an outer peripheral face of the housing 1 and an inner peripheral face of the cover 5, and are then folded back and distributed along the outer peripheral face of the cover 5. The electric wires 4 are then gathered together with tape 6 into a bundle at the posterior of the cover 5.
In this connector, a distribution space 7 is required for the electric wires 4 in between the outer face of the housing 1 and the inner face of the cover 5. Accordingly, ribs 8 are provided on the inner face of the cover 5, and these make contact with the outer face of the housing 1, thereby defining the distribution space 7. However, the ribs 8 are formed only on the cover 5, and there is the danger that, in the case where the end faces of the housing 1 and cover 5 are square and a position fixing means has not been provided, the cover 5 may be attached to the housing 1 upside down.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and in a first aspect aims to present a means of preventing the electric wire cover 5 from being attached incorrectly to the housing 1.
FIG. 10 illustrates another problem with the prior art device. Conventionally the cover 5 is attached to the housing 1 by a flexible locking arm 9 which engages a projection of a mating connector housing. In order to release the cover 5, the locking arm 9 is depressed. In order to prevent accidental release of the locking arm 9 by contact with another structure, side walls 10 are provided. These walls require a finger to be inserted between them so as to depress the locking arm. However, due to miniaturisation, the space between the walls may be too small to allow the locking arm to be depressed, and accordingly operability is reduced.
The present invention also aims to provide a solution to this problem.